Why it's impossible to get a decent coffee in Spain
Torrefacto coffee dominates Spain's hospitality industry. Consumers resign themselves to Starbucks or buying €600 home machines. Data from a debate.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The torrefacto empire: why drinking coffee in Spain is a flavour roulette of burnt taste
Coffee in Spain is, with few exceptions, a carbonised brew that Spaniards drink out of habit. Between torrefacto – coffee roasted with sugar that masks low-quality beans – and the rush of a hospitality sector that reuses the same grounds for several coffees, the result is a bitter liquid that drives many to look for alternatives.
Some have opted for the drastic solution: making coffee at home. With machines ranging from €200 to €600 – like the Delonghi Rivelia a consumer recently bought – and arabica beans at €15-17/kg, homemade coffee far outshines anything from your average corner bar. And specialty coffee is still a rarity: in Madrid it has improved with the closure of traditional bars, according to some, but the price of an espresso in quality venues is close to €2.50.
Meanwhile, Starbucks – criticised as a predatory multinational – becomes the lesser evil for those fleeing torrefacto. Ironic: the American chain, which is no marvel itself, runs circles around Spanish bar coffee. And if you cross the border, Portuguese or French coffee lays bare the national drama. The conclusion: either you invest in a machine or you resign yourself to the liquid cancer they call coffee.
The debate about coffee in Spain is not just a matter of taste: it is a symptom of how the hospitality industry has prioritised margin over product. And meanwhile, sachet coffee is still served with pride.
Coffee in Spain is, with few exceptions, a carbonised brew that Spaniards drink out of habit. Between torrefacto – coffee roasted with sugar that masks low-quality beans – and the rush of a hospitality sector that reuses the same grounds for several coffees, the result is a bitter liquid that drives many to look for alternatives.
Some have opted for the drastic solution: making coffee at home. With machines ranging from €200 to €600 – like the Delonghi Rivelia a consumer recently bought – and arabica beans at €15-17/kg, homemade coffee far outshines anything from your average corner bar. And specialty coffee is still a rarity: in Madrid it has improved with the closure of traditional bars, according to some, but the price of an espresso in quality venues is close to €2.50.
Meanwhile, Starbucks – criticised as a predatory multinational – becomes the lesser evil for those fleeing torrefacto. Ironic: the American chain, which is no marvel itself, runs circles around Spanish bar coffee. And if you cross the border, Portuguese or French coffee lays bare the national drama. The conclusion: either you invest in a machine or you resign yourself to the liquid cancer they call coffee.
The debate about coffee in Spain is not just a matter of taste: it is a symptom of how the hospitality industry has prioritised margin over product. And meanwhile, sachet coffee is still served with pride.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (36 replies).
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